Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-08-04
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.
Reasons Why Agricultural Col
leges Have Not Accomplished
What Was Expected.
DO Not Improve with Age.

DO Not Improve With Age.
The conditions of the various land
grant agricultural colleges of the coun-
try, as presented at the recent COM
mencement, is not encouraging, says
The Chicago Times. The attendance
at most of them is very small. and of
the number who enter but few gradu-
ate. Especially is this true of those ag-
ricultural colleges that were made de-
partments Of old colleges or universe
ties. chiefly for the purpose of securing
the fund obtained by the sale of the
land granted by act of congress. The
University OF Illinois was not an old
institution. but was organized for the
avowed purpose of affording facilities
for obtaining an education in the indus
trial arts and sciences. especially agri-
culture. horticulture. and stock-raising.
Apparently mistake was made in
attempting to do too much. Some
twelve colleges were organized and put
in operation, and among them was one
intended to prepare young men for the
business of farming. 1t received but a
small proportion of the income of the
fund derived from the sale of public
land. or of the money appropriated by
the legislature of the state. 1t has at
tracted scarcely any attention, and has
almost been lost sight OF.
The sixteenth annual commencement
OF the university took place few weeks
ago. on which occasion twenty men
graduated. not one of whom was from
the college of agriculture or borticul-
ture. 1t was for founding an agricul-
tural college that congress granted
nearly half a million acres OF public
land. 1t was for supporting an agricul-
tural college that the legislature of Hi
nois has been making appropriations
for the past twenty years. But
this school for the sons of farmers has
been completely overshadowed by the
colleges of literature. art, science. engi-
neering, and applied chemistry. The
Farmer. of ST. Paul, in commenting on
the condition of affairs, says:
The report of the recent commencement ex-
ercises at the University Of Illinois, formerly
there was not single graduate In the
agricultural department or so-called college OF
agriculture. Yet here Is an institution found
ed upon the fund arising from the maguih-
cent donation Of $50, 900 acres OF public land
by congress q quarter of a century ago for
the establishment Of an institution whose
leading object should be the teaching OF such
branches OF learning as are related To agri-
culture and the mechanic arts. This seems
all tie more disappointing because that in
-NtN ag..s-I a
successful agricultural schools of the country
By those who contend that an agricultural
department can flourish in conjunction with
other schools or colleges The University Of
Illinois is collection of so-caled colleges
and we notice that there were graduates this
year In all OF them except the college OF agri-
culture. The University of Minnesota is also
a collection OF colleges. From its agrlcultur.
al college this year we believe that II gradual
ed two students. So far we may conclude
that these two institutions do not prove very
conclusively that the agricultural college
holds its own when students are left TO choose
between agricultural and other courses Of
study, or where the taste, education, and ten
dency of the faculty lead away from agricul-
ture instead Of always toward 1t.
Observation shows that tho plan of
uniting an agricultural college with
colleges of art, science, and literature
does not work we'll. The agricultural
colleges in this country that have been
most successful are those that have no
connection with other colleges. The
same is true of the agricultural schools
in every country in Europe. Making
an agricultural school one of a collec-
ton TO which the name university was
given was a great mistake. Another
great mistake was in not putting dis
tinguished farmer at the head of every
agricultural school. The president Of
every successful medical school in the
country is a doctor of at least consider
able celebrity. The president or dean
of every successful law school is man
of high legal attainments. No theolog-
ical seminary has other than = d stin-
guished divine at the head of it; ordin-
arily his reputation is known TO every
member of the religious denomination
the school is designed to prepare minis
ters for. 1t should be no marvel that
an agricultural college does not sue
coed which is under the direction of
man who has no knowledge OF any Of
the arts and sciences that pertain 10
husbandry. He may be an excellent
general scholar, but il he is deficient in
the knowledge that pertains to agricul-
ture, horticulture, and the breeding and
management OF animals. he is not fitted
for the position. He will not succeed in
gaining the confidence OF farmers or of
their sons. He can not interest them
in the work the school over which he
presides was designed to perform. He
can not inspire enthusiasm among stu
dents of agriculture, for he is deficient
in il himself.
Our agricultural colleges made a
poor start. They were called into exis-
tence before there was any popular
demand for them. The number of
young men who were hungering and
thirsting to spend several years and a
considerable amount of money i'm OBJ
tanning systematic agricultural edu-
cation was greatly overestmated. Many
waited to see what agricultural schools
would accomplish in fitting their stu
dents TO become successful farm man.
ayers and overseers. They were not
pleased with the results they witnessed.
They noticed that these so-called agri-
cultural schools educated students away
from the farm instead of toward il.
They say that their few graduates gen.
orally become professional men. teach
crs, or merchants. If they come from
the farm they did not generally return
to it. There has been no such increase
in the number of students attending
agricultural colleges as in those OF
literature, art, science, law. medicine,
or theology. In several schools that
received the benefit Of the congress
sional land endowment fund and large
appropriations from the state there has